It is hard to believe that it has been 3 years since my GS on Nov 1st, 2011. Since that time I lost 60 pounds. I stopped losing weight about a year in. However, I did not stop gaining non-scale victories in my life. There were many things that I thought I couldn't do until I reached goal. I did them anyways. I went on mission trips. I chaperoned school functions. I worked on Habitat for Humanity builds. I had a ton of success on writing projects. I finished a couple college degrees. I am currently in training to be a platform vocalist at a mega church in the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex. Every single goal that my surgeon Dr. David Kim had me write out prior to surgery, I achieved with the exception of reaching goal weight. (More about that.)
Losing 60 pounds completely allowed me to see myself in a different way - as a beautiful, beloved, treasured daughter of God and I because fiercely invested in valuing myself, my life and my day and seeing all of me as a gift - extra skin and extra weight and all. A gift.
After my sleeve, I realized that my weight problems were also affected by hormones. I had a hysterectomy a year ago and have worked hard with my endocrinologist to figure out my post-thyroid cancer dosage of thyroid meds.
Additional positives - I'm scheduled for a breast reduction in a few weeks - completely approved by insurance and completely paid for by insurance. This is possible. Read your insurance's guidelines and be diligent and pursue this if this is necessary for you. My plastic surgeon, my chiropractor and my dermatologist and their letters of medical necessity were a necessary part of my team to get this procedure approved and available to me. I'm grateful. With a 60 pound loss, I lost zero inches in my chest area.
Going to the extent that I did to have this gastric sleeve procedure and then not reach goal weight has been disappointing but I plan to plug back into more accountability with you all as far as exercise goes and see if I can't get there in 2015.
Many people have asked me - since I am an "old timer" at 3 years out - if I still have restriction or any complications. Yes, I still have restriction. No, I do not EVER feel hunger. Yes, I do still struggle with drinking all of my water in a daily. I have zero, absolutely no, issues with any foods or drinks. I could eat anything but choose not to.
Most of my "friends" on here haven't logged on in over a year so I look forward to meeting new folks and trying to reconnect with my Sleeve Buddies that I'm not already friends with IRL.
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